Adios
by Tower
Summary: A short little story on my favorite dynamic duo: Vasquez and Drake. Enjoy.
1. recruitment

_She was so scared of him. Scared at what he might think if he really knew her heart. She felt so close to touch him and yet so isolated from him. She couldn't allow her self to care. All she wanted was to clamp down her emotions and never feel again…………_

**Sector 12lv-444, 4 years later:**

"Uh, man it really hurts to piss."

Drake said as his form stood far back into the foreign woods of a jungle. It was moist and damp at night and yet the air chilled your skin. The platoon of Marines had been here for nearly 3 days with nothing much to do but get drunk and play cards.

Hudson, Hicks, Frost, Crowe and Vasquez were giggling from around the tiny heat lamp, as they sat there, holding a bunch of playing cards in their cloved hands. A couple of beers sat nestled in the dirt beneath them, out of the site of Sarg.

"Well, you know what the Love Doctor would say, 'sounds like a girl problem!'

Hicks said over his shoulder, giving a mock gruffly tone in his voice, while still looking at his cards. They all scoffed once more as Drake came hobbling back to their cozy little camp, holding his crotch.

"No man, I think oww I should lay off the booze." He carefully sat down next to Hudson, scrunching his long face and almost teary eyed.

"Yeah right! Drake lay off the Russian wheat juice! My ass is holy, man!" Hudson and Drake yelled out in mock. "Whopp!"

"You better if you want John Jacob Jingle Hiemer to ever get action again. They might cut it off if it gets way bad, you know." Crowe exclaimed.

"Damn. Where's a good doc when you need it?" Drake looked a little nervous.

"So does this mean you chicken out on the game tonight?" Frost declared, dangling his can of beer.

Vasquez remained quiet through this whole time. She liked to think of this time of night as her reflection time. The time she spends thinking about certain things that happened during the day. She hadn't really paid much attention really until just now.

"Fuck no, your not backin' out on me! We smoked these posers last time and we gunna do it again, Drake my man." She raised her 'goblet of wine' in a ceremonial first swig and the game began…..

"That's my Baby!" Drake cheered out.

**3 Hours Later:**

Every body had gotten out by now except Hudson, Drake and Vasquez. Hicks and Frost were the first to black out; they discarded their friends and went to pass out back in their field tents. Crowe would have still been in if he had not thrown up his last can of beer.

Hudson tried to stand, trying to prove he could, but he got up too fast.

"I uh I could…….. 'ere all…….hiccup……..really special time…….for me!" He swayed back and forth while Vasquez kneeled on the ground, laughing her head off.

giggling Hey! Whoa………you could…...hiccup fall on me!" She gazed up at Hudson, while he grabbed her head to keep balance.

"I git I got it. Down worry." Hudson smiled dumpishly.

Drake was laughing as he tried to go help Hudson stand.

"Ahww, you're drunk. You drank too much man! Come on…."

He said as he grabbed Hudson's shoulder. They teeter tottered to the far end of the camp, and Hudson could no longer stand so Drake dumped him off by the TVO-Jeep's tires.

"Ah just stay 'ere a while an….."

Hudson couldn't finish, for he had passed out. Drake shuffled back to the little camp circle were Vasquez went for another beer. Only she couldn't find any more, so she lazily scooted around the logs to see if she could spot another one perhaps.

"Damn cans wal'k off by hiccup themselves dont they?" She slurred out.

"They ain't comin back Vas. I think we's won an' all." He stumbled and fell next to Vasquez.

She grabbed his ear with her toughened fingers. He let out a yelp and tried to push her. He was too wasted to do so, and ended up plopping his head in her lap.

"whoops"

"Get…get…out -my lap." She unsteadily whacked him with a bluish green tree branch which had fallen on the ground.

"I like it when you's mad, Baby." He grinned.

Drake rose up and sat up next to her. He slid his huge hand down her smooth olive skin face.

"You're hot ...for an army chick……….." He whispered

"Shut up you asshole." She blushed only when Drake said things like that to her, even when intoxicated...she didn't really know why though.

He nipped her shoulder with his teeth, showing he was annoyed.

"Damn, don't get bitchy or nothin on me."

She brought her hand right across his pale face, giving him a good playful smack. His face moved from the blow, and then he turned back to look into her deep brown eyes.

She new he wasn't jacking off anymore. She saw his face, glowing from the only source of light coming from the heat lamp. The face was that usually lacked expression was showing some other emotion right then.

She swayed back, unstable from the intoxication of alcohol. She looked away from her best friend's gaze.

He leaned away too, mortally pissed off. He gathered up his knees and rests his arms on them. He did his usual bad-ass sneer and sat there, occasionally glancing at the small Puerto-Rican woman.

"Ur right…….forget it." She broke the silence. He still ignored her.

She leaned over and offered her palm to him. He smirked and sighed.

"C'mon, man-Drake?"

Then she proceeded to slowly put little space from her lips to his. She had not the faintest clue why she did it, but she closed her lips on his. It was sort of spontaneous, she thought.

_You can't let this happen. You can't trust any man with your god damned feelings!_

_No, NO. Let this happen……now or you'll never get your chance again…………._

She set her hand on his shoulder and pushed him to the ground. Drake didn't fight, for he didn't really know what she was doing until she had straddled on top of him, bringing her face up to his.

They paused together, wondering. Neither of them has ever shown a romantic side to the other at all. Because of the occasional limited bunk space, they have slept next together, nothing more than Marines.

Drake didn't protest. In fact, Vasquez was surprised when he put his rough hands on her small hips. Their bulky field uniforms were thick to keep out cold, but he still used his hands to press her hip bone into his. She let out a suprise grunt. She was a little unused to a male touching her in this way. She has tried to stay away from men for things like intimate issues.

Then Drake broke off and cried out in a yell of pain. His hand slid down her toned arm and pulled it away from his sesitive area.

"AHH, shit Vas."

"What! What did I do!" She was angry at his cry of pain. It really had surprised her.

Drake pushed her off of him gently.

"That…uh….part is tender right now, remember?"

Vasquez cleared her throat, "Oh, uh I ……..yeah……..sorry."

_I god, I must be crazy! Why am I doing this shit? _She thought.

Drake knew it would be over even though it just began. Vasquez lightly punched him in the arm and said her good night.

"I got to go to bed. I'm gunna have a shitty hangover tomorrow……Please don't wake me up……."

He kicked the ground with his boot, mad at himself for not just ignoring the pain. Drake did not want to go in the tent, as they often shared one. He almost felt like going into Frost and Hicks' tent but he knew they barely held enough room for two full grown men. After a while, he eventually went inside the tiny makeshift tent. He saw Vasquez's short but muscled form through the darkness.

She was fast sleep...well passed out actually.

He got out of his camo pants and jacket and set his boots to the side. He crawled in a sleeping bag and passed out too.


	2. feelings

AN: this is just their kinda, background stuff.

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_**San Dominique High School-Football Stands:**_

Vasquez sighed and looked at her cheep six dollar watch. Drake was running late for a first. She could have gone by now.

Oh well, it's not like she was in a hurry to go anywhere for there was no where to go.

Drake came walking up from the side of the school to the field with some kind of paper in his hand.

"What's that, your weapon?" Vasquez yelled out.

He didn't say anything, but his face was grim and different.

"I…uh. Look um….Vasquez. I don't much feel like joyriding today."

He said with a bit of humility in his voice.

"What the Fuck?" She asked him.

"I've been thinkin' and all this is pretty stupid really. I'm tired of getting a black eye just before the swim meet. I'm tired of finding new ways to tell the teachers that it was just an accident instread of covering for my scrumbag dad...I wanna leave this place and not ever come back, you know?"

Vazquez couldn't believe her friend was being honest for once to her. They were never serious about anything and never talked about their home lives.

Drake flung a brochure in the palm of her hands.

"I talked with one of the hall monitors today. I know it's not my business but I saw you at the McDonalds last night. You looked pretty worn. They said you had run away again from your father and well, look, I was at a recruiter's office the other day and it said uh, well the colonel marines offer full service benefits. They offer training, housing dorms and three square meals a day with spending money on the side…..I was thinking on signing up, you know."

He looked down at his feet.

"And I told the recruiter that I know someone who would make a pretty tough fighting bitch-war machine, so uhh."

All this time, she stood there, not knowing whether to be disgusted or relieved that one of her favorite people to hate was showing her a way out of her dead end life. He was truly reaching out a hand like a real friend, the same hand that used to deliver a mean punch to her face a lot during sophomore year, before she learned how to dodge his wicked right hook.

Vasquez opened up the glorious looking brochure, showing men and women in sharp uniforms and cool combat scenery on alien worlds, and for once that day, she was excited to go home to tell her father what she planned on doing.


	3. pre showtime

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They had gone on the first patrol through the deserted colony, and within only 2 hours, all they brought back was a little blonde girl called Rebecca. Frost had picked up her signal and they found her crawling under the decks. The Marines headed back to the central command center in the center of the colony. They had just settled in for the night as Lt. Gorman was drilling the frightened girl about the events that happened.

"Gorman, give it a rest."

Vasquez heard Ripley say to the annoying weasel Lieutenant. Vasquez was in the back, taking off her gear next to Weirzbowski.

"Even if the little girl could talk, would she say it for that prick of an Officer?"

She asked Weirzbowski. He wasn't even paying attention to what they were doing with the little girl.

"I'm going to take a nap, so I don't really care." He said sarcastically.

"What's made you all crab assed?" Vasquez scrunched her brow and watched him leave for a corner of the facility room. He waved her off with his hand.

On a small table at another corner, she saw Sergeant Apone and Corporal Hicks going over the post evaluation of their first raid. As she neared, she picked up their conversation.

"I think it was some sort of biological acid. It certainly didn't smell like some sort of man made chemical. That stuff was bile, I'll tell ya." Hicks remarked to Apone who nodded in agreement as he smoked on his thick cigar. Vasquez approached the two men.

"Hey, got any spare cigars?"

"I thought you didn't smoke 'em, Vasquez." Apone declared, glaring at her. It didn't seem like he wanted to depart with even one.

"Yeah well, there have been a lot of new things lately, so hand one over sarg."

Apone held out his hand, a suggestion that she give him something in return. She pulled out her last wad of cash she always stored to use on after-mission poker game celebrations. She laid it in his thick hand. Somthing told her she wouldn't be needing it on this one...

Apone tipped his head sideways, gave a smart ass smirk and reached in his jacket. He pulled out one rich brown cigar, already pre-cut and ready to light. Vasquez reached out to retrieve it and then Hicks asked her a question.

"What do you think about this mission, Vasquez?"

"Me? You want my opinion?"

"Yeah, sure."

"I find it f-cked up beyond hope."

Hicks gave a scoff and nodded. Apone laughed and nodded as well as he crossed his arms.

"Get some sleep, Vasquez."

"Sure, sir."

Drake had been lounging in an office chair when Vasquez came walking over. He had laid their mats out under an office desk, but they weren't that inviting really, Vasquez sighed and tucked away her new cigar. Most of their comfortable stuff was still on the Sulaco.

"Hey Vasquez."

Drake greeted with disinterest. He still had a half eaten MRE on the table that was soggy from a leak in the ceiling. Vasquez pulled off her boots and plopped straight down on the mat. They hadn't said anything that had happened back on the last mission but they both knew things were going to be a bit different-despite the fasade they played up.

"I've been doing this for 4 years now, and I still can't stand these fuckin' mats." She said as she laid down uneasy like. She noticed that Drake had barely eaten and it made her somewhat interested.

"What?" Drake put up his hands.

"Huh? Oh, nothing." She shook her head.

"Well, there's gotta be something."

"I was just thinking…."

"Ouch, are you going to be okay?"

"Go to hell, Drake."

"Okay, sorry, what were you thinking?" He picked at the MRE a little with his hand.

"This whole damned mission. It doesn't feel like the others, you know? I feel like something different might happen but I'm not sure what. For the first time ever, I feel nervous and...scared a little."

"Holy hell, Vas, you can't get this way, we got a job to do."

"I know Drake, just shut up... I'm really not up to your shit right now."

And he did shut up. Drake knew better than to rile her up. After a few minutes of silence, Vasquez piped up again.

"Will you please eat that? Your driving me crazy with you picking at it."

He didn't say anything in response. In fact, he had grown silent more than usual.

"Hey...Vas?"

"Yeah?"

"I just want you to know, you...if this mission goes well than, there's something I need to let you know."

Vasquez scratched her head, her face growing warm again everytime Drake said stuff like this. She cared for him a lot but she never would think they'd have that 'feelings' talk at all. She tried to avoid it almost as much as him. This mission definitly will change both of them for sure, no matter what happened.


	4. Bullshit

**AN: *SUCK IN BREATH* Brace for it**

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Drip. Drip. Drip…

Tossing and turning from the noise, Vasquez's almond eyes opened just a bit to see the green and red emergency lights glowing all around the room. The soft wheezing of sleeping humans gently provided some white noise; but that damn thumping….

Thump. Thump. Drip Drip…..

Finally, she bolted upright, irritated at the sound. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light and her ears sharpened the silence around her, Vasquez could tell the noise was coming from next to her. Drake was wide awake, lying on his back as he tossed his Corpsman achievement coin up in the air. The coin smacked onto the bottom of the long, meeting table he was tucked under, and back into his hand.

The putrid water from the ceiling kept dripping onto that same, fucking table.

"Stop." She hissed Drake, half asleep and just as pissed.

The coin stopped being tossed. Drake perched up on his elbow, as the red light nearest them cast a blood shadow upon his straight-like features. "I was wondering when you'd wake up." He said.

"Dick. Some of us have work to do in a few hours. I'm going back to sleep." She huffed. "So, _Adios_."

Vas almost plopped her jet-black head on the moldy pillow when Drake clasped his strong hand around her forearm.

Her heart thumped its own, obnoxious rapping now. Vas exhaled. "Drake…"

"Just… hold on a minute." He said as he scooted closer to her; his chest pressing against her back. She could feel his hot, inviting breath brush the hairs on her neck. "I just think…I need to be here with…you."

Vasquez's face lit on fire. She loathed that feeling. Why couldn't he just let it go…?

After what seemed a lifetime, she finally unfroze. Curiosity won out.

Turning to Drake, she whispered. "What?"

Without another wasted second on words, Drake pressed in even closer and grabbed the edge of her sleeping sack as he tucked himself in beside her. His hands slid up her small thigh, ringing a burning into her stomach she had never experienced before.

_This was just fooling around, right? _She kept chanting over and over in her head.

His lips brushed her right ear, and she sucked in her breath to keep from revealing a soft chuckle. It fired up her entire body, and goose bumps appeared on her arm. Nothing has felt so right. She turned around to look into Drake's half shadowed face. Her eyes went to the small blue orbs of the soldier. Her small hand went up to his cheek and burned a trail of fire where it touched skin.

_You'll never get the chance again…_

Drake knew Vasquez was giving into him. She already knew he had given into her years ago. Breaking the wall she held up for so long, she eventually leaned in, grazing her lips with hers until they finally found purchase on one another. She wrapped her other arm around his waist and pulled him on top of her.

For a moment, they drank in each other with their lips. Hands admired muscles and old scars as olive drab shirts and pants were discarded quietly to the side. Vasquez knew how every one of those marks on his skin had come to be-every bone that had been broken-because she had been there, right by his side.

Obsession was finally replaced with desire. She grabbed his dog tags that had dangled from his pulsing neck, and lured him in close to her body. The soft stench of JP fuel and ammo grease was mixed with the pure intent to own the other's body with gentle respect; but rage. Rage at their passion being left along in a dark corner for years, left to fester. Rage at the hardships they endure together-yet separated by their stubbornness and unable to express.

The result was a pure, harsh need to keep the other irrevocably close.

Drake pushed gently into her, carefully to not get carried away so quickly. Vas clasped onto his body as she took his ear into her mouth. She groaned. Her breath tickled him back and he grinned. Grunting, Drake pushed into her a little harder as if to warn her that his self-control was slipping. His hand roamed to her hips, chest, and temples. Any touch to reaffirm that this was really happening.

She only devilishly smiled as he put his hand over her mouth, getting ready for the ferocity. He grabbed her head softly and pulled her into the crook of his neck, as their rhythm got more intense. She could feel nothing but him, and that is all she cared about. Vas understood their need to be silent, but something told her that after tonight, it wouldn't matter who knew about them. A soft sigh escaped her.

"Damn," Drake half grunted softly to her as he looked into Vasquez's glistening eyes, "you're beautiful."

"Bullshit." She whispered back. No one has ever said that to her, and Drake knew it. He couldn't wait to be the one for her. He would be the one to call her that-beautiful…

* * *

_A small, cozy room was peppered with awards on the each wall: every one of those awards for a military service, or of valor. The evening sun was setting through the small, curtained window as it lit up the room like warm caramel. _

_Playing quietly on the floor was a small boy. His dark hair glistening in the sun's rays littered on the floor. Jenette sat cross legged on the floor next to the mischievous boy. She wore a plain white blouse and sported a long black pony tail that she twirled in her fingers._

"_Who gave you this, Carlos?" She giggled at the boy as she pointed to a small green army tank that Carlos adamantly clung too._

"_Daddy did!" Carlos said excitedly. "But he say not to pay wit it when you're around..." the boy frowned, "oh."_

"_Oh, so he keeps buying you toys uh?" She laughed again. More laughter ensued as her eyes went to a figure that now stood in the entrance to the room._

"_Hey Mark, we were just talking about you." She answered sarcastically. _

_A slightly older Mark stood in the door way. Trading his marine uniform in for a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, Mark was smirking at his son as he rubbed the back of his neck absent mindedly. "You ratted your old man out, kid."_

_Carlos tipped his small head in shame. "Sowwy."_

_Drake chuckled and swooped down to grab Carlos up as the boy screamed with laughter. He brushed the small strands away from Carlos' s face. "Hey, it's okay buddy. You know I still love you."_

"_Even mommy?" Carlos egged on. _

_Mark nodded as he caught a glimpse of his best friend staring up at him from her position on the floor. "Yeah, I love her too." A loving smile graced his features. "In fact, I should tell you a funny story about her sometime…"_

_A worried, disapproving shake of the woman's head and Mark backpedaled. "Urr, of course, when your much older. Much, much older."_

* * *

Drip. Drip. Drip…

Vasquez popped her head off her dingy pillow as she tore herself from the dream. She wiped the tiny, wet path of a tear from her cheek. The dream …was so real. She could still feel the sheer emotion of it as she looked around the Control room where the Colonel marines had set up their base camp. Everyone was fast as sleep besides Bishop. She could hear him paces the hall outside.

She looked over to where she thought Drake would be sleeping, but he was gone. She could see his sleeping sack was rolled up, and his gear and clothes were missing.

_He was on guard duty,_ she sighed with relief. _Why was she such a spaz now? Damn, love sucks._

She lay her head back down and tried to go back to sleep. They only had another hour before roll-out time yet she couldn't shake the dream. Her mind raced. Could something so…wonderful like that happen? Would she ever deserve to have a house to call her home, be normal, and have a family of her own with the man she cared about most in her universe?

The question was: when?

END

**AN: Aaaaaand that was my attempt at finishing the fic. MAJOR BLAH. Not sure I liked it, but oh well. I feel better it's complete. I suck balls at sex scenes because I either make it too out of character and porn like, or I just skip it completely. And I didn't want to do either on this one so I'm a fan of leaving a little bit up to the reader's imagination. I decided to use their first names for the dream because it would be pretty weird calling them by their last names if they're supposed to be out of the military in this 'what-if' scenario. Also, I find it hard writing a romance thing between characters that a generally not considered in any type of romance…so I feel like it's out of character. IDK, opinions are appreciated. ;9**


End file.
